Friendly Frugaleers Festive Preparations and Financial Accountability

[Wolfcub]

New Fred

Christmas has been ok here, but not as relaxing as I’d hoped.

Couple of weeks ago our boiler gave up the ghost, so we had to fork out for a new one. Then on 27th our tenant texts to say his boiler isn’t working... so yay, another boiler to pay for! 2 huge expenses that we don’t see coming at all in one month. Can’t be helped, and at least with DH being in the trade it’s saved us in terms of finding someone to do the work. But we are now totally skint as a skint thing.

On top of that we had already started work on decorating our conservatory. Fortunately that didn’t cost too much, just paint, sealant, etc. But obviously we had to stop that to sort out our tenant. Hopefully we will be back to normal by the end of today!

Taking DS1 to the doctors later. He’s been full of a cold and run down for a couple of weeks now but has woken up today with pain in his ear. He’s a tough lad and it’s not like him to be asking to go to the doctors, so it must be painful for him.

That's funny, Life, I was thinking all those links would be useful especially at the start of a new year. I don't have them though I'm afraid!

Hope you are feeling better today Em.

Stand firm Girlie! It's horrible but I wish more.parents were like you. Mobile phones/social media cause all sorts of problems at school.

Welcome Okno.

Am not dressed yet. Need to get on with stuff.

Has anyone got NYE plans? Quiet one here, friends coming over for takeaway. Have warned them that I will probably not last to midnight!

Curls I hope ds soon feels better and Em I hope you are feeling brighter today

Sea good effort on the meatballs and sauce

Pay day (yay), paid myself first, wages look a bit light so that's either me miscalculating off last months wage or there was a break in the tca because extension paperwork didn't get processed. I can't log into the hr system to check until next week as I can't remember the password

Remembered last night that I owe friend for concert tickets and hadn't budgeted for that so must write her a cheque - it's in the overall annual budget I just hadn't accounted for it in what's going out this month

I think we're going to have a day of board games if ds can separate himself from his Xbox for long enough. I also want to fill up on diesel as the tank is low

I’m hoping for a quiet day today. Ds has gone to nursery. Dh to work. Dd is napping now. I’m debating a nap or a shower and a get up and another cup of tea.

Am still feeling yuk. Antibiotics haven’t kicked in yet. Do not want to go out tonight.

No plans here. Working today. DD horsing around. DS feeling a bit grotty.

I will boot up the desktop and go through old threads see if I can find them tonight

Welcome Okno
Em, hope you feel better soon.
Girlie, sometimes they just need tough love, stick to your guns!

No plans here either, will probably watch a film and play some board games with the dcs later.

I’ve just had a meltdown. To no one (apart from Dd and catface).

Doing laundry and I found a pair of ds’ pants. Ds’ poop covered wrapped in a tissue pair of pants. Ffs. Have had enough of dh and his filthy laziness.

Come downstairs and kitchen is a mess. Living room a tip.

I’m so angry at dh.

Oh em, that is just awful!
Sending hugs xx

I found exactly the same thing this morning Em - only in a nappy bag not a tissue. DH leaves them as little presents for me and it really pisses me off. Poo is not my explicit responsibility .

We’re going to a massive sleepover at our friends’ house Snuggly. They’re university friends, and we’ve doing it since 2001 - we used to rotate houses for the party and all put people up in our houses between us when 3 of us lived very close to each other but now they’ve moved away and got a huge house we always go there. 23 of us this year I think, including kids.

I’ve just made 24 brownies to go with the pavlova. I’ve been manic since I got up, packing and tidying (the cleaner is here and the kids are messing up the house faster than I can tidy it ). However, I have just had my first sit down and my last piece of Heston’s Black Forest panettone. Christmas is officially over .

My cough is not improving and now I get a sharp pain in the top of my left boob every time I cough, and instinctively I clutch it every time. DH thinks it’s hilarious

Sending hugs to you too Sea, for the poop and the pain!
Also can I suggest that you both hit your husbands on the head and just laugh?!

I’ve sent dh a ranty message. I’ve told him that I’m not putting up with this shit anymore. And he needs to pull his finger out and pull his weight round the house.

Happy New Year 🥳! We're having a gathering at MIL's later - mixture of family, friends and neighbours - all chipping in with dinner and a bonfire later.
Tomorrow is a sea-walk and pub lunch (New Years day is always much more jolly and hopeful than nye ime!)

Dh is just about to take kids and cousins down to the beach. We're trying to break a bit of clinginess so I'm staying behind. Going to do some dinner prep and paint my nails.

Omg I'd be furious about poo-gate! Hopefully you hadn't washed them?!!

No madden hadn’t washed them when they were found. But they could have been washed which would have been a nightmare.

Dh will be given a stern talking to once he gets home.

EWwwww poo pants.... that is grim. I guess he has doesn't do the loo flick & flush to rinse?

I am steadfastly ignoring work - I have been on my computer but only because it is a great drawing tablet..... I am guessing work didn't realise they gave me another way to not care about what is happening in meetings.

We have no plans for NYE. I am soooo partied out this year. Normally we are away so everyone is sending us invites this year.

I will have a hunt for the links....

Nope. Just wrapped them in paper.

Euwwww wtf?! How is it less effort to wrap it up than throw it away?! And I say that as a very disorganised slattern btw so for most things my standards are LOW. But poo?!? 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

No plans here. Just a usual evening I’m generally up past midnight anyway 😂

I did get a huge urge to sort my entire life out in the small hours of this morning though 🤔 it needs a LOT of sorting.

I saw something that DSS would love and I think I’m going to get it now while it’s available and at a decent price. His birthday is 1/3 which I spend all of January thinking oh that’s ages away, and then suddenly it’s the end of February 😂

Here is the list of links...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/other_subjects/1324074-For-those-who-cant-afford-to-use-central-heating-this-year-How-are-you-going-to-cope

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1628874-Gas-Elec-Bills-monthly-and-SKY-so-angry

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2209167-Slow-Cookers-are-shit

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2224969-saving-money

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

orchard.tesco.com/ Sign up to this.

www.topcashback.co.uk/home And this.

www.quidco.com/home/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/ And this

www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub ditto.

www.checkoutsmart.com/ Plus this.

www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new?page=3 Check this daily.

And a blast from the past …. still worth a read.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

Ooh excellent Unescorted. Perhaps we can post them at the op of the imminent new thread, too?

We get a lot of soiled pants (It’s one of DS’s problems) and I do get annoyed that DH just wraps them up and leaves them for me. He has this idea that certain things are my ‘area of expertise’ - eg all cooking and meal decisions, tricky laundry and stains (though he does put normal washes on). However, this means I feel it is perfectly reasonable to declare certain task his area of expertise. Bins especially, and he dealt with all of the emptying of the revolting mouldy water out of the conservatory when it was leaking (Still dry, fingers crossed!). I really can’t say I enjoy the poo pant parcels though .

Found a packet of posh pigs in blankets that expire today, so I’ve just cooked them and DH and I are eating them before we head off. Yum. But really must start thinking about fruit again Soon

Just back from Aldi,£74 but I got loads for that and have topped up cupboards, freezer and fridge all of which was really low.

My New Years resolution is to eat better so have bought lots of fruit and veg, now I just have to eat it 😬😁 I picked up a charity shop cookbook called '10 a day the easy way' and that's inspiring me, although I now think I need to buy a food processor 🙄

Gah posted before I'd finished!

Grim about the pants em part of the reason I stay single is because I can't be doing with men being useless.

You might need to get checked by a dr sea your virus may now be a chest infection.

We're going to a friends party tonight, she always has a do on NYE so will be fun.

Tomorrow will be a lie in and a roast dinner in the afternoon.

Dd much chirpier today, since the phone ban Ystd she has finished one book and read another one!! Just goes to show what a waste of time phones are. I'm not sure whether I need to contact the school re the phone issue... bit worried about what the implications would be. On the other hand maybe they could also do some teaching on the dangers of social media and the internet etc 🤔

@ChristmasSeacow your NYE sounds awesome! Although the cough, not so much. Agree you need to get it checked out, sometimes they just don’t go away without a bit of help.
@ememem84 all I have to say is yuuuuk! Why just leave them? Yeah, I’ll just wrap them up, like a gift for DW to find later 🙄

@Unescorted thanks so much for the links, will have a mooch round them later.

Ah, I’m so happy. The conservatory is all finished, cleaned, all the furniture back in there. And I decided to blitz the rest of downstairs while I was on a roll so tree is down, decorations all away and everywhere is spotless. Upstairs hasn’t been touched in over a week but I’m ignoring that for today, along with the ironing mountain.

DS1 has a middle ear infection, not a lot they can do except rest and take painkillers. He’ll be fine. DS2 has gone out to play with his mates at the park. DH is upstairs napping as he’s working tonight.

Going to treat the boys to a takeaway pizza later and I’m having snacky party food from the freezer plus the last of the cheese and biscuits.

Just transferred some money over to get the joint account back up to zero. I knew I’d have to do this, it’s all planned for.

Feeling like everything is back to normal and in its right place.
Apart from my waistline, that is 🙈

Eww Em and Sea that is not acceptable. Personally I'd be absolutely fuming if that happened and a fair amount of yelling and swearing would occur.

I agree Girlie there's a lot to be said for singledom in that regard. Re school if there are other pupils involved I would. If there's a potential consequence for dd then I'd view that as natural consequences for actions and a way to firmly reinforce the message. If the consequences are for others then the same applies and their parents may not know and may need to step in with their own children

£58 diesel. £12.50 toner but will last about four months.

Dinner in the slow cooker and planning an early night I feel wrung out.

Sea get the chest checked out

Mmm pigs in blankets. We had pib sandwiches before Xmas. Yum.

wolf when I’m feeling better there will be shouting and swearing happening. Right now. I just don’t have the energy.

I barely have the energy to get off the couch.

Dh and ds are home. Dh is adamant that we’re going out tonight. I really really really don’t want to. But have conceded. We’re only going to friends round the corner. I’ve asked Dh that we leave by 9. And if we’re going I want to be left alone to rest for the rest of the afternoon.

Wolf thanks, it's a bit complicated but no other students involved, I'll think on it. The downside of being single is the lack of someone to talk this through with in rl 😕

Em I'd tell dh to go on his own and put yourself to bed, you sound properly poorly bless you.